PRODUCTION METHOD OF ULTRAFINE GOLD PARTICLE-DISSOLVED WATER

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a process for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution.

Back Technology

[0002] Since ancient times gold has been highly valued as the most important precious metal and mainly used in the form of ornaments or treasures. Recently, gold has also been recognized to be effective in promoting human health and used in a pure gold health bracelet, Japanese sake containing gold leaves, and the like. However, the effectiveness of these products in health is not sufficiently recognized although they are distinguished as luxury items containing expensive pure gold. Lately, in response to health-oriented social trends, health promoting effect of gold have again attracted an attention and it has been found that the particles than in the form of simple gold or gold leaves.

[0003] Potential of gold ions and fine gold particles being effective in promoting health or healing diseases has attracted a great deal of attention and a considerable contribution of gold to health has been known ("Golden Water Cures Intractable, Serious Diseases" by Tofu Takada). Therefore, further technological development, in particular in applied utilization of an aqueous solution or aqueous dispersion of gold ions or fine gold particles, is needed. However, several problems remain to be solved in implementation of such technology.

[0004] As mentioned above, water products containing fine gold particles are also known (ditto, page 64). However, in most products, gold leaves or gold powders are simply dispersed in water. It is extremely difficult to dissolve gold ions or fine gold particles in water and dissolution methods so far available are limited to those with the use of aqua regia or gold electrolyte.

[0005] In such conventional methods, requirements in terms of production cost and economic efficiency are not satisfied and moreover, technological problems such that health-promoting function cannot be fully exhibited remain to be solved.

[0006] In order to solve these problems in conventional methods and realize the potential of gold ions and fine gold particles being effective in promoting health or healing diseases, technological development in this field might be in progress. However, only a few techniques of this field have been disclosed in patent publications that are generally known to precisely reflect the progress in technological development, which indicates that potentiality in technological development in this field is still great.

[0007] The few disclosed prior arts mentioned above include Japanese Utility Model No. 3046284 in which an organic antibacterial agent, such as antibacterial gold ions immobilized onto an ion exchange group of zeolite is admixed with an polyolefin mold resin in order to provide an antibacterial tank for drinking water that can prevent unwanted bacteria from invading through the wall of the tank and avert detrimental effect caused by chemicals dissolved without spoiling the flavor of the drinking water, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 09-220580 in which in order to provide mineral water containing minerals, such as gold ions, that is useful in the human body, mineral carriers are suspended in water and then the minerals are released into water by stimulation by mineral release stimulating means, such as acid addition and electrolysis; Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 09-10772 in which in order to produce an inexpensive bactericide, antiseptic water having excellent bactericide activity, a heavy metal such as gold is dissolved into acidic ionic water having a pH 2.6 to 4.5 produced using an electrolytic water purification system or oxidation potential water having a pH lower than 2.7; and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 05-280841 in which in order to produce a health ice product having foreign matters, such as gold leaves, evenly dispersed in an ice block, gold leaves are evenly admixed with crushed granular ice while stirring, the granular ice mixed with the foreign matter is packed into an ice-making can, and water is gradually injected from the bottom of the ice-making can to form ice.

[0008] However, virtually all of these conventional techniques enclosed are far from suitable means to solve the abovementioned problems and cannot basically solve the problems, although the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 09-10772 is noticeable, in which in order to provide mineral water containing minerals, such as gold ions, that is useful in the human body, mineral carriers are suspended in water and then the minerals are released into water by stimulation by mineral release stimulating means, such as acid addition and electrolysis.

[0009] Utilization of activity of gold ions and fine gold particles in physiologically active materials, health food materials and pharmaceuticals is important as technology directly related to everyday life. Their application will become more frequent in future and thus the development of technology in this field is highly expected.

[0010] Accordingly, the present inventors intensively studied the process of producing health water containing ultrafine gold particles in prospect of possibility that health can be promoted in extremely simple way and various symptoms can be improved by drinking water containing gold ions or fine gold particles, and thus completed the present invention EP 1 167 292 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for producing healthy drinking water containing fullerenes. In a tank holding high-pressure water, a mixed gas of oxygen and hydrogen are blown out at high pressure from a jet nozzle into a combustion chamber. Inside the combustion chamber a graphite bar is gradually pushed out according to the combustion amount, i.e. the graphite bar is burned. The mixed gas of hydrogen and oxygen is ignited by an ignition system, and carbon or fullerenes containing water molecules are discharged in pressurized water which is properly filtrated by a filtration device for purification thereof.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0011] As mentioned above, potential of gold ions and fine gold particles being effective in promoting health or healing diseases is great and further technological development has been expected. Possible basic applied forms can be an aqueous solution or aqueous dispersion of gold ions or fine gold particles; however, several problems remain to be solved to implement these forms. For example, it is extremely difficult to dissolve gold ions or fine gold particles in water and only methods so far available are to admixing of gold leaves or gold powders with water or to use gold electrolyte. However, in such conventional methods, technological problems, such that requirements in terms of production cost and economic efficiency are not satisfied, that health promoting function cannot be fully exhibited, and that safeness of using chemical electrolyte to the human body is not confirmed, remain to be solved.

[0012] Thus, although utilization of gold ions and fine gold particles for use in physiologically active materials, health food materials and pharmaceuticals has been highly expected, concrete technology has not been satisfactorily developed.

[0013] The present invention is to contribute to the technological development and implementation of application for effective use of gold ions and fine gold particles by solving the abovementioned problems and thus develop a novel process for producing an aqueous fine gold particle solution. '

[0014] This objective is achieved with a method according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are subject-matter of the dependent claims.

[0015] In the present invention, an aqueous solution of fine gold particles means water in which ultrafine gold particles look like being dissolved seemingly and it does not mean water
in which gold powders or gold leaves are simply suspended.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] 

Figure 1 is a flowchart showing summary of the process of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows results of analysis of gold in water in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved using distilled water.

Figure 4 is a result of analysis of gold in water in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved using tap water.

Explanation of Symbols

[0017] 

1: Apparatus for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution

2: High-pressure tank

3: Pressurized water

4: Gold leaf fragment

5: Jet nozzle

6: Gas mixture

7: Combustion chamber

8: Opening for water supply

9: Route for hydrogen supply

10: Route for oxygen supply

11: Stirring device

12: Ignition device

13: Pump

14: Filtering system

15: Product

16: Water electrolysis system

17: Electrolysis vessel

18: Water

19: Electrode plate

20: Power source

Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Conventionally, an aqueous gold ion solution is generally produced by using an electrolyte known to be used for gold plating which is poor in ion generation efficiency, and furthermore, the resulting product can be hazardous to the human body and thus its use is limited. On the other hand, gold particles are insoluble in water; therefore, when fine gold particles are dispersed in water, their total surface area is small for the weight of the gold mixed, which results in poor cost efficiency. Thus this kind of methods is technologically unsatisfactory.

[0019] Accordingly, the present inventors intensively studied the improvement of these conventional techniques and considered that the abovementioned methods with various problems can be improved by dissolving ultrafine gold particles that are finer than conventional fine particles; and thus conducted research on methods for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution. As a result of repeated trial and error, the present inventors accomplished a novel method in which a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen is combusted in highly pressurized water and then gold leaf fragments are heated by the resulting combustion gas, and thus completed the present invention.

[0020] The present invention is to realize the production of water in which ultrafine gold particles having a diameter as small as 1-2 figures in micron order, much smaller than any of the abovementioned conventional fine gold particles, are dissolved. This water product is furthermore improved in its high functions, such as health promoting activity, than water products in which gold leaves or fine gold particles are suspended, and is confirmed to be characteristically as safe as ordinary water.

[0021] A primary feature of the present invention is a process for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution in which a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen is combusted in highly pressurized water in which gold leaf fragments are suspended and then the gold leaf fragments are heated by the resulting combustion gas. Figure 1 shows a summary of this process.

[0022] An apparatus to implement a method for producing an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved is shown in Figure 2.

[0023] In a basic production process of the present invention, water is poured into a pressure tank and gold leaf fragments are admixed and suspended while stirring, after which the water is pressurized under high pressure, a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen is injected from a nozzle and then completely combusted until it reaches the state of ultrahigh temperature vapor gas combustion, so that the gold leaf fragments are instantaneously dissolved and dispersed in water in the combustion gas. At this moment, ultrafine gold particles having a size as extremely small as microns are generated and are in the state of apparently being dissolved rather than being suspended. Combustion in water can be most effective and stable with a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen. This stable combustion requires high pressure.

[0024] Further, no physical or chemical explanation has been given why the gold leaf fragments are instantaneously dissolved in the combusting gas in highly pressurized water to become ultrafine particles.

[0025] The water thus produced can be used as it is without filtration, or depending on the use, it can be filtered with a filter or the like to remove remaining gold leaf fragment and a small mount of fine gold particles larger than ultrafine gold particles, thereby obtaining an aqueous solution in which only ultrafine particles are dissolved. Gold leaf fragments and fine gold particles remaining on the filter as precipitate are recovered for reuse by appropriate backwash, which improve economical efficiency.

[0026] Supply of hydrogen and oxygen gases in the method of the production according to the present invention has to be precisely controlled to maintain the hydrogen-oxygen rate to be 2 to 1. It is also necessary to control the reaction time and the amount of fuel to be combusted. The resulting water may have no desired effect if the reaction time is too short, while the taste as aqueous water may be spoiled if the reaction time is too long.

[0027] An apparatus for producing a gold health water product of the present invention in Figure 2 constitutes an apparatus 1 for producing an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved comprising a high-pressure tank 2, a jet nozzle 5 for a gas mixture consisting of oxygen and hydrogen, and a combustion chamber 7. In addition, a water electrolysis system 16 to provide materials for a gas mixture, i.e., hydrogen and oxygen, and a filtering system 14 to filter the resulting aqueous solution are installed.

[0028] The production vessel is a pressure-resistant tank (high-pressure tank) 2 made of metal, preferably stainless steel, into which water to make pressurized water 3 is supplied through an opening 8 and at the same time gold leaf fragments 4 are admixed, and the admixture is stirred by a stirring device 11 operated by an electric motor.

[0029] A combustion chamber 7 is made so as to surround a jet nozzle 5 for a gas mixture 6 consisting of hydrogen and oxygen supplied through a hydrogen supply route 9 and an oxygen supply route 10. Here, the gas mixture is ignited by an ignition device 12 and then completely combusted until it reaches the state of ultrahigh temperature vapor gas combustion, so that the gold leaf fragments are instantaneously dissolved with the resulting combusting gas to produce an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved in water.

[0030] The aqueous solution thus obtained can be used as it is or nm through a filter housing (filtering device) 14 using a pump 13 and is released as a product 15. As a filter, in order to filter only ultrafine particles, a hollow fiber filter having a pore size of micron order rather than an ion exchange membrane or a reverse osmotic membrane is preferably used.

[0031] As for the scale of production of the present invention, one ton of aqueous solution can be produced by injecting a gas mixture at a rate of about 5 liters per second for about 2 hours, in which 40-60 g of gold powders are previously dispersed in one ton of water. Further, too much pressure may cause destruction of the apparatus, while too little pressure may blow up the gas from the nozzle and the heated gold leaf fragments are wrapped in the resulting foams and released on the surface of water, which results in poor generation of ultrafine gold particles. In this case, preferable pressure is about 355 kPa (3.5 atom). The pressure of highly pressurized water in the pressure tank is set to about 203 kPa (2 atom).

[0032] Further, in the apparatus for use in the present invention, it is also possible to use material gas supply cylinders in place of a water electrolysis system 16 to provide hydrogen and oxygen to be used as fuel. However, hydrogen and oxygen provided by water electrolysis are pure materials and thus the material hydrogen and oxygen can be readily supplied.

[0033] The water electrolysis system 16 can be an ordinary system composed of electrolysis vessel 17 containing water 18 and electrode plates 19, 20 connected to a power source 20.

[0034] Acidic or alkaline material water is electrolyzed to generate oxygen gas at the anode and hydrogen gas at the cathode, which are used as material gases for combustion.

[0035] Further in the present invention, a filter housing 14 is preferably added when remaining gold leaf fragments and gold particles in the resulting aqueous solution have to be removed. Water produced by this apparatus can be filtered with a filter or the like depending on the use to remove remaining gold leaf flagments and a trace of fine gold particles larger than ultrafine gold particles, thereby obtaining an aqueous solution in which only ultrafine particles are dissolved. Gold leaf fragments and fine gold particles remaining on the filter as precipitate are recovered by backwash for reuse, which contributes to cost-effectiveness.

[0036] Furthermore, an aqueous health drink consisting of an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved in water, is produced by using the abovementioned method and apparatus. As mentioned above, purification is carried out through the filter housing 14 equipped with a hollow fiber membrane having a pore size of micron order and thus remaining gold leaf fragments and fine gold particles are appropriately filtered out to make an aqueous health drink. By such filtration, an aqueous drink that meets with the Food Hygienic Standard can be obtained. Filtration can be carried out, for example, using a series of hollow fiber membranes in order, each having a pore size of 50 microns, 25 microns, 3 microns, 0.5 micron, and 0.1 micron, in which the first membrane is placed where the resulting fluid is released from the reaction tank.

[0037] The aqueous health drinks obtained were analyzed by a third-party institution (Japan Food Research Laboratories, Foundation). Results are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0038] Figure 3 shows the gold content in a sample in which distilled water was used as pressurized water into which gold leaf fragments were admixed and the gold leaf fragments were dissolved using hydrogen and oxygen generated by water electrolysis as fuel. Figure 3 shows the gold content in a sample in which tap water was used as pressurized water into which gold leaf fragments were admixed and the gold leaf fragments were dissolved using hydrogen and oxygen generated by water electrolysis as fuel.

[0039] The aqueous health drink is believed to become an epoch-making drink to sufficiently meet the demands in current health-oriented society. Although it is not clear at the moment why an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved has effectiveness to health and what kind of physiological activity is involved, marked effects in improving physical conditions and recovering from fatigue were observed when samples were tested by monitors as described below, and thus actual effectiveness was confirmed. Stability in the body and physiological effects such as intestinal absorbability were fully exhibited probably owing to ion emission effect and extremely large active surface area of ultrafine gold particles, or characteristics of gold itself as a precious metal, and further chemical and physical stability of gold.

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention are further illustrated by the following example with the accompanying drawings that are not intended as a limitation of the invention.

EXAMPLE

[0041] Figure 2 is an apparatus 1 for producing an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved comprising a high-pressure tank 2, a jet nozzle 5 for a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen, and a combustion chamber 7 for the gas mixture.

[0042] Detailed operations are as follows. The production vessel is a pressure-resistant tank 2 made of metal, preferably stainless steel, into which water to make pressurized water 3 is supplied through an opening 8, at the same time gold leaf fragments 4 are admixed, and the admixture is stirred by a stirring device 11 operated by an electric motor.

[0043] A combustion chamber 7 is made so as to surround a jet nozzle 5 for a gas mixture 6 consisting of hydrogen and oxygen supplied through a hydrogen supply route 9 and an oxygen supply route 10. The gas mixture is ignited by an ignition device 12 and completely combusted until it reaches ultrahigh temperature vapor gas combustion state, so that the gold leaf fragments is instantaneously dissolved with the resulting combustion gas to produce an aqueous solution in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved in water. The aqueous solution thus obtained is appropriately run through the filter housing 14 using a pump 13 and is released as a product 15.

Conditions for operation

[0044] Pressurized water: water 1 ton (203 kPa (2 atom)) -
Gas mixture: 5 liters/sec (355 kPa (3.5 atom))
Injection time: 2 hours
Gold leaf fragment supply: 50 g
Aqueous solution produced: about 1 ton

[0045] The resulting aqueous solution is filtered through a series of hollow fiber membranes in order, each having a pore size of 50 microns, 25 microns, 3 microns, 0.5 micron, and 0.1 micron to obtain an aqueous health drink in which ultrafine gold particles are dissolved.

Potential for industrial use

[0046] As mentioned above, the present invention is to provide a novel method for producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution, which makes it possible to obtain the aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution easily and at low cost and to effectively contribute to health improvement by conditioning physical conditions and stimulating appetite by making the aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution into an aqueous health drink utilizing physiological activity of the ultrafine gold particles.

Claims

1. A method of producing an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution comprising combusting a gas mixture (6) consisting of oxygen and hydrogen in highly pressurized water (3), in which gold leaf fragments (4) are suspended, and then heating and melting the gold leaf fragments (4) by the resulting combustion gas to obtain an aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gas mixture is produced by electrolysis of water.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein supply of hydrogen and oxygen gases is controlled to maintain the hydrogen:oxygen rate to be 2:1.

4. The method of any preceding claim wherein the aqueous ultrafine gold particle solution is filtered to remove any remaining gold leaf fragments and undissolved gold particles.

Ansprüche

1. Verfahren zum Herstellen einer wässrigen, ultrafeinen Goldpartikellösung, umfassend
Verbrennen eines Gasgemisches (6) bestehend aus Sauerstoff und Wasserstoff in unter hohem Druck stehenden Wasser (3) In dem Blattgoldfragmente (4) aufgeschwemmt sind, und
anschließend Aufheizen der Blattgoldfragmente (4) mittels des resultierenden Verbrennungsgases, um eine wässrige, ultrafeine Goldpartikellösung zu erhalten.

2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, bei der das Gasgemisch durch Elektrolyse von Wasser hergestellt wird.

3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, bei dem die Zufuhr von Wasserstoff- und Sauerstoffgasen gesteuert wird, um ein Wasserstoff:Sauerstoffverhältnis von 2:1 aufrechtzuerhalten.

4. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche bei dem die wässrige, ultrafeine Goldpartikellösung gefiltert wird, um verbleibende Blattgoldfragmente und ungelöste Goldpartikel zu entfernen.

Revendications

1. Procédé de production d'une solution aqueuse de particules d'or ultrafines comprenant la combustion d'un mélange gazeux (6) consistant en oxygène et hydrogène dans de l'eau maintenue sous haute pression (3), où des fragments de feuilles d'or (4) sont en suspension, puis le chauffage et la fusion des fragments de feuilles d'or (4) par le gaz de combustion résultant pour obtenir une solution aqueuse de particules d'or ultrafines.

2. Procédé selon la revendication 1 où le mélange gazeux est produit par électrolyse de l'eau.

3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2 où l'apport des gaz hydrogène et oxygène est régulé pour maintenir le rapport hydrogène : oxygène à 2 : 1.

4. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes où la solution aqueuse de particules d'or ultrafines est filtrée pour retirer tous les fragments de feuilles d'or restants et toutes les particules d'or non dissoutes.

Drawing